Fans could have been forgiven for mistaking Princess Mary of Denmark for the Duchess of Cambridge this week. The Danish royal attended an awards dinner in New York, stepping out in a blue wrap dress that was strikingly similar to the dress Kate wore when she announced her engagement to Prince William back in 2010.
The two pieces were almost identical, both featuring V cross front necklines and bracelet length sleeves. The ultra-flattering dresses are wrapped at the waist, leaving the skirt to fall in soft pleats just above the knee. One notable difference between Kate and Mary's dresses was that the Danish princess had a belt tied around her waist. She also added a brooch to her stylish number.
Princess Mary attends the UN Goalkeepers Global Awards Dinner
Kate famously wore the navy-blue Issa 'Phylis' wrap dress to a press conference to announce her engagement. The Duchess inspired women around the world to snap up the £575 design, and it quickly sold out. The 'Kate effect' had truly struck into force, but the unprecedented interest in Issa led the company to collapse. Issa founder and creative director Daniella Helayel told the Daily Mail: "Issa was a niche brand; we had a loyal following, but in 2008 and 2009 we were in serious financial trouble. When Kate wore that dress everything changed."
Issa relaunches at House of Fraser
Kate wearing the iconic Issa wrap dress
The dress sold out in minutes, and sales doubled as a result of Kate's endorsement for the brand, but Daniella didn't have the money to finance the mass production needed to meet demand. Her friend Camilla Al-Fayed offered to buy a 51 per cent stake in the business, which led to the label recruiting a new CEO and Daniella leaving her role as Creative Director in May 2013. Issa eventually closed completely two years later.
